Inclusive Insight: Ukraine Minister Seeks India's Support to Resolve Conflict with Russia, Recognizes India's Vital Role

Ukraine has urged India to increase its engagement in efforts to end the ongoing war. In line with the G-20 motto of "one earth, one family, one future," Ukraine sees India's role as crucial in bringing about peace. Emine Dzhaparova, the Ukrainian first deputy foreign minister, emphasized that India's involvement would be a significant step for the global South, including countries in Asia, the Gulf, and Africa, during an interview with TIMES NOW.

India, as per her statement, is poised to expand its global role. As the current President of the G-20, India's responsibilities extend beyond regional issues to global ones, including the repercussions of the war on areas such as food security, energy security, and nuclear blackmail.

Expressing her full support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the 21st century is not a time for war, she expressed disbelief that a war of the magnitude initiated by Russia in February last year could happen after the Second World War.

Furthermore, she revealed that Ukraine has extended an invitation to the Prime Minister to visit Kyiv, and has requested a telephonic conversation between the Prime Minister and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a personal invitation. Recognizing the need for intensified dialogue with India as a global leader and the current President of the G-20, discussions at other levels have been sought, including an invitation to India's national security advisor, Ajit Doval, to Ukraine for discussions with Andrii Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian President's office.

The minister mentioned that during the onset of the war, humanitarian aid and the evacuation of approximately 20,000 Indians from Ukraine were discussed. At present, only 2,000 Indians remain, but even those who have returned to India can obtain their graduation certificates. Ukraine is hopeful to attract more students from India after the war.

Furthermore, Ukraine has extended an invitation to India to participate in the post-war reconstruction process. The minister emphasized that this would be mutually beneficial as there will be ample business opportunities and European Union countries will be looking to invest in various reconstruction projects, including roads, bridges, houses, schools, hospitals, and agriculture.

The discussions also touched upon India's import of Russian oil. The minister clarified that Ukraine was not intending to "instruct" or "lecture" India, but pointed out that relying too heavily on Russia could lead to potential blackmail. She recommended diversifying purchases for both oil and weaponry to avoid such dependencies. She highlighted that there were evidences of Russian tanks being destroyed by shells or weapons fired from drones, and suggested that if 60% of Indian weapons are of Russian origin, India should consider diversifying. Ukraine has offered potential partnerships in various areas, which are currently under discussion.

The minister highlighted the issue of demining as another crucial concern. She called for India's expertise and technology to assist in demining extensive areas of land, including coastal regions, which amount to approximately 180,000 sq. km, equivalent to the size of Gujarat. She emphasized that demining is a long-term challenge for Ukraine, as people continue to be killed or injured on a daily basis.

When discussing China, Dzhaparova expressed that while Ukraine maintains a strategic partnership with China, it would pose serious problems if China were to sell weapons to Russia during this time. She drew parallels with India's issues with China and stated that the situation in Ukraine serves as a litmus test. Allowing Putin to go unpunished for the war could embolden other aggressors as well.

Regarding Ukraine's membership to the European Union and NATO, the minister disclosed that Ukraine already holds candidate status, and negotiations could potentially begin by the end of the year after post-assessment. She affirmed that membership to these organizations is only a matter of time, as an overwhelming 93 percent of Ukrainians support EU membership. Furthermore, she stated that after the war, Ukraine would have an experienced army with ample expertise to contribute to NATO. When asked about recent leaks in US papers about the war, she declined to comment, citing sensitivity.

Condemning terrorism, the minister described it as an "awful phenomenon" and mentioned that parts of Ukraine, such as Crimea, held great admiration for Mahatma Gandhi's messages and opposed the Soviets through non-violent means.

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